Newbie Wanting Help With Betta Splenders (Fighting Fish)

[BettaAsh]

Hello All!
 
I am new to this forum, and I am also new to owning my first Betta!
 
I am wanting to know a few questions I have about them.
I am sorry if this has been asked before, I'm still trying to find my way around

 
QUESTION ONE:
 
I am wanting to breed him, I am unsure of his age, I brought him a local Pet Shop. I have him in a large tank, I'd say under 2ft.
I am wanting to put a divider in the middle for the female to be on the other side of the tank.
I have one heater, which I was going to keep on the side of the male (as the divider has holes to allow water flow (visibility is hard between the two fish) which will then become the fry's side of the tank.
Will I need to buy another heater for the female side of the tank, or will one be suitable?
 
QUESTION TWO:
 
I have a Crowntail Male Betta. Am I able to breed him to any other breed of betta. eg: halfmoon female betta.
I am hoping to get some really new and interesting colours, but I am unsure if you have to stick with the same fish.
 
Thank you to anyone who can help

 
Cheers
Ash

 

[BettaAsh]

Splendens not Splenders. lol

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I wouldn't recommend a newbie breeding Bettas I'm sorry. They require lots of maintenance and years of research.
But, I'll answer you question regardless
 
1. Each fry needs its own tank and should not be kept with either of the parents as they will eat them or harm them. 
    No, you do not need another heater.
 
2. You can breed your Betta with any other colour/tail form, just be aware that some deformities may occur.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Look here at WildBetta's response, she's very knowledgeable: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421493-breeding-bettas/
And I agree with Blondie, definitely not something a beginner should attempt. Maybe make it a future project?

 

[BettaAsh]

Thanks for the reply.by newbie,I meant to the forum, not to owning fish

 

[Ninjouzata]

Even so..what other fish have you bred? We don't mean anything by it saying you shouldn't just don't want you to have a difficult time if you're not ready for it

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Even so..what other fish have you bred? We don't mean anything by it saying you shouldn't just don't want you to have a difficult time if you're not ready for it

 
+1. 
 
Bear in mind, you have to be able to have a tank for each and every fry and they need pristine conditions. A batch of fry is often upwards of around 300. You also have to have a tank specifically for breeding as well as be able to provide homes for all of the fry. You also need to be able to have live food able to be cultivated for the fry.
Breeding Bettas is time consuming and expensive.

 

[BettaAsh]

Yes I am aware animals need to be looked after. Any decent pet owner knows that. I am just wanting a few questions answered for I purchase a female. I don't want fry I can't look after. I have friend and family who I can sell to, also my local pet shop. But not wanting to breed, what I've heard of as, mutts.
Is there a way to tell if you will end up with deformities with a breeding pair? I think I'd rather have two pairs the same tail but different colours. What do you think?

 

[TallTree01]

By deformities she means in the tail. The fish won't be a mutant or whatever . Some may just have odd looking tails.

 

[BettaAsh]

lol ok

 I was worried they might have two heads. Still, I don't want to breed fry that are not "flattering".
I am not going to jump into breeding, but am finding the idea very interesting.
I do need to learn a lot more about the conditions of the fishs tank before going down that path.
I have only every owned fresh water fish, so this is a change

 

[TallTree01]

WHo knows? Maybe you'll breed an epic betta tail type and make billions of $ .

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Yes I am aware animals need to be looked after. Any decent pet owner knows that. 

 
As I would hope they would.
I'm sorry if I'm coming off rude. I'm just trying to make sure that you know what you're in for.
 
By deformities, you may end up with a few crocked spines if the tails are too different, if you do, it would be kinder to euthanize them or not sell them on. As well as wacky tails
 
It's good that you're doing your research first, I just recommend that you do as much as you can before you dive into it.

 

[Wildbetta]

If you really are wanting to look into breeding, I suggest you buy a good quality pair from a breeder.  This way you can know the background and genetics of the parent fish plus know the age of the breeder pair.  Pet store fish tend to be close to or over a year old which is past the prime breeding age plus there is no idea what the genetics of those fish are which results in "mutts" (as you mentioned above).  You will need small live foods and multiple tanks to breed bettas which is something you need to consider as well.  Normal spawn size is 100-200 fry so plan for that many when you breed.  Make sure you can find homes for that many and have enough jars/containers for each fry once they reach around 2 months or so old(when they start showing aggression).

 

[BettaAsh]

Thanks wildbetta!
I'm a little confused though, if keeping fish in small bowls is cruel, why do they suggest jars to house the fry? I've seen Web pages with bettas in jam jars. This surely can't be good?

 

[Wildbetta]

Raising fry with that large of a brood plus the fact that they have to be separated or you will end up with damage or worst case scenario death is the reason it is done.  I do not think they should be kept in anything less than a gallon though.  This is only a temporary place for them since they stay in these separate containers until they are sold which is usually within a month or two tops. Daily 100% water changes are a must on containers this small and a reliable way to heat them is important.  Females (except for exceedingly aggressive ones) can be left to growout in a big tank together until sold.